The reason I may often harsh on Identity Crisis is that I really, really liked it up to the last issue. Hell, I remember reading the first six on my lunch break the day the last issue came out. But, I was reading for the short game, that of the murder mystery. Brad Meltzer's story was more about a murder that reveals a coverup, then exposing the coverup. Who killed Sue Dibny is an afterthought.
The old Power of the Atom series also has a subplot from the previous series, where Ray no longer used his old size-changing belt; so he gives it to Jean's new husband, Paul. How Jean ends up with it, I can't say, but the whole series is pretty much Superboy-punched out of the continuity now. Like that time Atom was turned into a teenager. Zero Hour, man, good times.
Also, I could buy Jean, as the ex-wife of a Justice Leaguer, still having security from and some access to the League. But how would she have the secret identities and family information of so many heroes, including Robin, who wasn't a League member or directly affiliated? Especially since Robin almost definitely wasn't affiliated until long after Ray had left. Did Jean get the information from the newsletter or something?
Why am I still harping on this? Mostly, I'm just mad at enjoying the series so much for it to disappoint me so much in the end. Like a bad breakup, I find myself wondering if I shouldn't have seen it coming, if I should've stopped myself before it got too serious. It's a breakup so bad I don't even go to the old hang-outs, in this case, the DC Universe proper. (I'm starting to revisit, but Meltzer burnt me pretty bad, so I'm holding off on his JLA.)
I do wish the new Atom series well, and it has a few things going for it: Gail Simone, and new villains. If you see him fight Chronos, take it off your pull list, the book's got three issues left...
OK, I have to ask: what trick does Ray Palmer have that allows his costume to just appear like that?
ReplyDeleteI thought only Flashes could pull off that kind of stunt.
Are the regular clothes a hologram or something?
I found an old Silver Age issue of Atom & Hawkman where Jean first went crazy.
ReplyDeleteJean was struck by a "crazy ray" from a shrunken society so she could be their queen.
Of course, our heroes rescued her. (And it never hurts to bring along a guy who carries a mace when you go to shrunken societies...)
But at the end of the story, she was still nuts. I guess Jean got better later on, but we all know how she finally ended up!
Calvin: Luckily, I had Power #13 next to my computer: Ray tells a doctor "I have the ability to transfer various amounts of my mass and weight...including my costume...into a kind of stasis zone. It's how I shrink." Um...kay. Damn, I kinda wish I had the whole series here, since it probably explained why his regular clothes didn't explode.
ReplyDeleteKeeper: Yeah, there's a few issues in Super-Team Family, or something, with Atom and Captain Comet and a few rotating members, and Jean Loring's insane again, or still. And her brain's causing natural disasters. I don't have the conclusion...
Gail Simone is bringing back the tiny people from the Sword of the Atom series in All New Atom soon, so I guess it's back in continuity.
ReplyDelete